Monday, August 24, 2009

Addiction Isn't Just a Street Thing

For the blog today, folks, I just want to talk about one of the most insidious, yet common--- and possibly the very most dangerous--- forms of addiction.

Prescription drugs.

Maybe you or a loved one or a friend had pain, or depression, or insomnia, and got a prescription. At first it was okay. Then the trouble started.

You got used to the dose and got the doctor to prescribe more. Then, you got used to that increased dose, and wanted more. But the doctor would prescribe no more, so you went to another doctor. Now you have two prescriptions, then you go get yet another one and another.

You feel like a criminal. Your behavior changes. People who love you are worried. You have to use different pharmacies. And you are a medication addict.

Not low-grade street drugs, not for you. You are addicted to the real deal, the pharmacy-grade-AAA junk. You are in deep trouble, and can't stop needing more and more and more.

This is such a common situation. More than we know.

Here is a forum post off the web that I found, apparently from an ER technician or nurse... take a look at how bad the problem is...

You can't believe what junkies people are for "prescriptionnarcotics".

The ER here is filled 24/7 365 with people jonesing for Vicodin, T3,Percocet, Dilaudid, Demerol, Stadol and even Fentynal. And the ones who arehooked on this crap would amaze you.

School teachers, cops, business people, construction workers....the usualsuspects. Junkies come in all shapes and colors, and they don't always look likethey just crawled out of the gutter. But don't let looks fool you. They areaddicted and dependent on this stuff.

I used to feel bad for them, then I used to get mad at them for beingaddicted. Now I just do what the doctor says, shoot em up for their fix, and getthem out of the bed for the next victim. I cannot count the number of timessomeone comes to the ER complaining of pain of one form or another and whenasked "did you take anything like tylenol or motrin for this at home" they justlook at you like your from the twilight zone and say, "NO".

If you had any idea just how stupid people out in general population are whenit comes to life you would start to wonder how the hell people survive as aspecies.

Honestly, we just give everyone what they want when they want it.

My rule of thumb is if your really in pain, you try anything. If I offer youtoradol, you'll try it. If I offer you morphine, you'll try it. etc,etc....

If you come into the ER with allergies to tylenol, but you can take percocet,you might be a junkie. If your allergic to motrin, toradol, morphine, but cantake demerol or dilaudid without any problems, you may be a junkie. If yourtaking oral dilaudid and still having pain, their probably not much I can do foryou.

Most ERs are like this now. Its just to much of a pain to try to weed throughthe junkies to find the people who are really there for true pain.

If this sounds like you, or a friend, or a loved one.... find a good doctor and be honest.